


and a bovine with a heart of gold

by renecdote



Series: Maybe A Family Is... [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Batcow gives him one, Damian Needs a Hug, Diana is the best at making people feel better, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, bonding over animals, of the mostly comfort variety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 03:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13627503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renecdote/pseuds/renecdote
Summary: Damian goes to Batcow for comfort after a disagreement with his father. He gets it, but also from someone else.





	and a bovine with a heart of gold

Damian hooks an arm around Batcow’s neck and cuddles closer to the cow. Batcow is surprisingly good at giving comfort. Or maybe not so surprisingly, since she’s an animal and those are always infinitely better at comforting than humans. They don’t offer useless words or empty gestures. They just let him curl up with their warmth and listen silently if he needs to rant. They don’t push if he just wants to be quiet. 

And he can’t go to Father or Richard right now because Father is the problem and Richard is in space. Even if he was here, Damian is not sure he’d talk to Richard because he’d probably just agree with Father. They’re both so stupidly, unnecessarily overprotective. Damian is  _ not _ some plebeian child who doesn’t know how to take care of himself. He’s been trained from birth to a warrior of the highest calibre. He could have taken care of The Riddler by himself.

But no. He’ll never be good enough for Father, for Batman. He’ll never be skilled enough or mature enough or intelligent enough. He’ll always have some shortcoming in his father’s eyes. Just like he did in his mother’s. And no matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how far he reaches, he will always be far from perfect. Even further from  _ good enough. _

“At least I have you,” Damian tells the cow seriously, leaning his head against her neck. Batcow turns slightly, blowing air across Damian’s tucked knees as she huffs. It tickles. If Damian were not so morose, perhaps it would draw a reluctant giggle.

Any potential amusement dies a moment later when he hears footsteps on the gravel outside the barn. He tenses, though he’s not sure who would have come looking for him here. 

“Damian?” A female voice. The Amazon. Wonder Woman. Diana Prince. Damian frowns. What is she doing here?

“Damian?” She comes further into the barn and when she spots Damian relief flickers across her face. “There you are. Bruce has been very worried.”

Damian rolls his eyes. His fingers curls against Batcow’s hair. “I doubt it,” he scoffs. 

Diana gives him a measured look in response. “You are mad at him,” she observes. She seems… confused by his anger with his father. “Did he do something to upset you?”

Damian scowls and looks away. She wouldn’t understand anyway. 

...but perhaps there would be no harm in confiding in her? He doesn’t know whether it’s because he knows she’s Wonder Woman, or because of some power she has, but he feels a sudden desire to tell her his troubles. Cautiously, he looks her over for any sign of her truth-compelling lasso, but it is nowhere in sight. She appears no different from any other person trying to offer comfort.

“I’m never good enough,” Damian mutters. “Not for him, not for Mother, not for anyone.”

Diana sits down cross-legged by Batcow’s head and gently strokes her face. “Well, regardless of what they think, I know you’re an amazing person,” she tells Damian, giving him a small smile. She pats Batcow’s face. “And so does she.”

Damian rolls his eyes, slumping back from where he’d been leaning toward the Amazonian, as if drawn by magic. He’d thought, for a moment… but no, she’s really no different from everyone else. “You don’t have to treat me like an upset child,” he says grumpily. “I don’t need such empty reassurances.”

“You father didn’t tell you?” Diana asks, and the surprise is genuine. As if Father tells Damian  _ anything  _ that isn’t criticism _. _ “I can communicate with animals.” Another soft smile. “Batcow says you take very good care of her.”

The bubbling irritation with his father fades away to awe.  _ Perhaps _ , Damian thinks,  _ she is a little different from everyone else. _ Diana has of course already proven herself a worthy ally. A worthy companion for father. But it is something different for her to prove herself as a… a… Perhaps a worthy friend?

“Of course I take care of her,” Damian says. Scoffs a little to hide the blush creeping up the back of his neck. He scratches Batcow behind the ear. “She is mine.”

“You rescued her?”

“Yes, from a slaughterhouse.”

Diana is quiet for a moment before she says, “She is very grateful. You have given her a wonderful life.”

“I just did what any decent person would do,” he says, but his chest feels light and fuzzy. It feels good, knowing he has done right by one of his pets. 

“No, Damian, you went above and beyond, even for just one animal,” Diana says. She pauses, what Damian now recognises to be listening for Batcow, and then she laughs a little. “You are her hero.”

Damian feels heat creeping into his cheeks again and ducks his head, pressing his cheek against Batcow’s neck. The cow turns her head to nudge at his leg, tongue rough against his ankle, almost like she is returning the hug. Showing affection in her own way. 

Diana winks at him. “I suppose we shouldn’t tell Bruce, he might be jealous, being shown up by Robin.”

Batcow bumps her nose against Diana’s hand and moos her agreement. 


End file.
